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Tania is currently the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of The Hudsucker, and Senior Editor at the Nashville, Tennessee based PopCulture.com. With past writing and editing credits with Womanista, Quietly, the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) and NBC Newsvine, she is currently a member of Indianapolis based, Society of Professional Journalists — one of the oldest organizations in the U.S. that promotes and represents journalists. She is an avid Indianapolis Colts, Elvis Presley and baseball fan as well as a lover of pancakes and fine cheeses, film, and music. Tania is a Hoosier at heart with a passionate wanderlust for always traveling and giving back to those in her community. She is currently studying at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Follow Tania on Twitter: @westlifebunny.

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You are here:Home»Take on the Day With 3 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Waking up Early

Take on the Day With 3 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Waking up Early

{Image Credit: iStock}

Waking up early is not an easy habit to adopt. No matter how many alarms we set or how early we sleep the night before, there is nothing like being snuggled up in that cozy, warm bed with those super soft pajamas and dozing off into golden slumbers.

Yet, studies state that the reality is waking up early presents endless opportunities for a great day ahead, with the benefits of waking up early leading to an increased efficiency, alertness, and even greater happiness. If you find it difficult to pull yourself out of bed every morning, we share a few solid tricks to help you transform from night owl to an early bird.

Pick a reason

Before you think this is super easy, create reasons to wake up early. Don’t just do it because everyone else is. Create intent and motive, whether personal or career-oriented, and be mindful. Often, those attempts of waking up early fail because goals aren’t strong enough to enforce a habit. Moreover, ease into it slowly. If you start it too quickly, you can’t build up the habit effectively. Give yourself time to adjust and take it slow.

Go to sleep early

One of the best ways to start all of this is just go to bed early. Easy and obvious, but much harder than it seems. Between distractions from our smartphones buzzing to staying up late for one more joke from our favorite late-night host, it’s hard to just shut down our brains from all that hyperactivity and go to sleep. But the sooner you do, the sooner your body is ready to wake up. Additionally, look to manipulate the environment so you can have your room work for you for a more, effective sleep. Keep the alarm clock away in the morning so you have to get up, draw the curtains come A.M. and allow that natural sunlight to come in, which can help boost vitamin D and serotonin levels for a better mood.

Plan a non-negotiable agenda

In order to kick start your habit, pursue goals and errands that will hold you accountable. From a fitness class, to taking another method of transportation for work to beat traffic, or even a morning jog with a friends, the morning is your oyster. If you don’t wake up, not only will you ruin your schedule and end up being annoyingly behind, but you will be mad with yourself and there is nothing better than that kind of guilt. While you are at it, build the momentum by preparing breakfast, taking a shower or going for a run. But before you do, drink a whole glass of cold water as this will fire up your metabolism and keep you from overeating, and keep you alert without that sluggish feeling.